The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-01-20

Forde, won't you?' Then remember
ed that few days before l had found
this boy annoying Katie, an had given
him cut with switch I had in nv
hand. He had skunk away without
word at the time. but it seems he had
remembered the blow and took this way
Of being revenged.
..Well, at first / was scarcely
frightened, expecting somehow that
once the people below knew the fix
was in, they'd find some way or other
Of getting me out Of it. But when /
come to think Of it deuce bit Of way
could hit OH myself, an sure knew
more about chimneys than any one else
in the place. Twas getting late, too;
there wouldn't be much more than an
other half hour Of daylight. an the
wind was rising-I could hear it
whistling through the trees. BY this
time people knew what had happened
and a crowd was collecting: could see
them coming from all parts, for Of
course had view all about. l saw a
boy go up to the door of the counting
house, an presently Master Philip came
out running as il for his life. When he
came he took the command like, an
began giving directions; an the people,
who had only stared ut first, now ran
here an there as he sent them. First
they brought out long ladder an
fixed it on the roof below the chimney.
could have told them that twas too
short. knowing as did the length of
every ladder in the place; but. some.
how. | heard their shouts plainly |
! could not make them hear mine: it
seemed as if the voices went up like
smoke. Then there was a great delay,
while they went for longer ladder;
and this, too. didn't reach half way.
A man climbed up. however. and called
out to know if l hadn't piece Of string
in my pocket that could let down.
Not a bit could find. l had big
ball only the day before. but l had taken
it out Of my pocket. an put it on the
shelf at home. took off my braces IN
fastened them and my handkerchief to-
gether. but they didn't near reach the
top of the ladder. so that the plan had
to be given up.
All this time the wind was rising an
| was getting numb with the cold an
stiff an cramped from being SO long in
the one position. There was big clock
right over the gateway just opposite an
! saw that it was only twenty minutes
to 5; it would be nearly dark at 5. an
once the darkness set inwhat little hope
had would be gone.
Master Philip seemed to have gone
away by this time, but there was nv
father among the crowd; an who should
| see standing next to him and holding
on to his arm but Katie. They had for
gotten everything but the fright about
me. an he seemed to be talkin' to her
an comfortin' her After bit saw
Master Philip again: he had big thing
in his hand looking like pocket hand
kerehiefs stretched over frame, an
saw that it was kite, an that they
meant to send string up to me in that
way. But you never in all your life saw
| such an unmanageable kite. First twas
too heavy and then twas too light, and
then the time they seemed to lose MAX
ing tail to steady it.
heard after that part Of that same
tail was made of bank notes Master
Philip took out of his pocket when he
could get nothing else quick enough.
He got them back later, for not man.
woman. or child in the place would
have touched one of them when they
saw him using them in that way.
When the kite did 60 up at last the
wind was 50 high that they could not
manage it properly. 1t came very
near me once IN ! made i. snatch ut
the string, nearly over-reachlng myself
in doing so; but missedi it. and just
then there came terrible gust of wind.
the string broke, an the kite was
carried away, an stack fast in the
branches of big tree behind the
masters h use. looked over at the
clock to see how much time was left
me an found | could not see the
hands any longer; the darknes had
come Oh in the last few minutes. Then
gave up all hope. for knew | never
could hold on until morning. l tried
to think Of death and to make myself
ready for it. but Icouldn t-not PRAYER
nor good word could | call to mind,
only going over an over again in my
head the way it would happen-how the
people would go away one, BY one.
how I'd be left alone in the dark al
the bowling wind, an how at last I'd
not be able to hang on any longer, an
fall and be found in the morning all
crushed out Of shape. The people be-
low seemed TO have given up all thought
of helping now. an were standing quite
quiet.
Twas SO dark by this time that
could just make out Master Philip in
his dark suit among the mill men, and
poor Katie. She was cronching down
on the ground now, and her apron over
her head. All of sudden saw her
leap up with great cry an clasp her
hands an call out something. Then
there was confused sort of shout, IA if
every one in the crowd was saying the
same thing at the same time, an then
Master Philip, making sign to silence
them, put his two hands up to his
mouth an sang out in voice that
came to me above the noise of the
| wind.
Take off your stocking and ravel
it; the thread will reach the ground. =
At first l didn't understand him,
being dazed like, but then the meaning
came on ME like message from
Heaven. got off one of my socks
with some trouble-nice. new ones they
were too, of Katie's own knitting, that
she had given me for Christmas box
an with the help of my teeth l
loosened one end of the thread. 1t
gave readily enough after that, an
when had a good piece Of it ripped |
tied my knife to make it heavy, an let
it drop, ripping more an more Of the
sock rs it went down.
Then felt it stop, and presently
there came shout telling me to wind
4 II m nrain Very slowly and cara-